Sheets-sheet



PATENTBD MAY 12,1868;`

vJ. LEIGVH.

.T- FURNAGE FOR BURNING FUEL FOR HEATING METALS AND `FOR f N. U. t.

Y E Ecnim Umor.

2 SRRRTs-SRRRTIZ.

. T. J. LRIGH. A Y PURNASR RoR BURNING 4EURL FOR RRANNS MRTRLS AND PoR OTHER PURPOSES.

noi-M A' Vsf-.J osE P E for# Iil 'O Iursovsnnnr In"'Point-Acts` ron susnpryrg ron nsiirmensrigrsfnnp fronornsn f Aflge rlgeniltrsftgetm im their eiiers mimi nu making tirarme, f-

To npnwnom 1T MAY ooNonRN- Be it Inown vthat I, THOKASSJQSPH LEIGB, yof London, in `the county `of Middlesex,.and Kingdom ofi i England, have invented new and usefu'l ,Improvements in Furnaces, and inE'ectin'gthe Gombustionof Fuel L therein; and I-do hereby declare` 4that the'following is a'. full, clear, andexhct'deseription thereof, whichdill i enable: those-skilled in the nrt'ftomake and use thesaine, reference being had to the accompanying d rnwin'gsgw lformingpart of this specification'. i n" f u i `l f, i'

` My improvements in furnaces, sind in -eecting the combustion of fuel thereixgare to' be 'understood-from thegfollowng descriptiomlreferencebeing hold to the accompanyingdrawingnnn'd to,` the letters nndiigurres markedthereon. A.. ,i l 'l fi y i lI form a chamber, lined withirchrick or 'other refractorysnhstance, lwhich `cha'uihr is-clsed in or uhedf".A over, except at two places, oli opposite sides, where apertures 4are formed,the one fosupplyingfuol, und the j other for` the exit ofthe flammes.l i i u Thislntterf aperture leads to the bed of,l a' paddling, heating, or meltingfnrnace,for to the-working-chaniber of any reverheratory furnace, cupola, or bicat-furnace, or around the sides,o 'r-thr'ough the tuhes `'or iiues of a i boiler, where the heat is utlied.` f ,i 1 fr A The ichnmber is formed with n partition, diaphragm, or hanging llnjdge, Awhich`descendsfrom 'the crown o rf roof of the `elxannher to n certnin'distance rom the bottoni. lui l ---Vh-/Ifolten 4net'al,"is-Iii,Nonglass', metal "overed by inolt'enhs'lag'lor gloss, occupies the bottom ofthe chamber toa level of a few inches below the partition or diaphraginf,V i f f l The `chmnher is thus, separated into'two compartments,communicating with`one another throiigh the'pssinge i' between the lower edge of 'the diaphragm and the''urface of the molten matters.' t L t l l The side of the iirst,'ory feeding-compartmenks either. vertical or; inclined, andthruugh this sideI intro-` duce a'hlast of nir from n. fun or other blowing-apparatus. l

l., This may enter byone tnyere, but I p refer tomake it 4enter by numerous ,smuiljtuyeresfntlsutnbleV-leyels.- At the top. of this compartment place a fuelfhopper, whence, bysuitable mechanism, the 'fuel is'pnssed,

as required for` combustion, into a chu-teLnnd' made'to lfull upon an inclined netnl` plate," and thence `into the chambers wvArstreuxn of cold air is nmde` to playv upon theisurfac of the inclined plate, so as to kcep'it cool and desist,` the'descent of thefuel into tho feeding-compartment. x L The fuel, in descending through the compartment, is 'mixed with the nirientering bythe tuyereg, und, being kindled, a contnuoussheetof Home is thus madeito pass over the surface of the I'nolten"matterfinto the` other compartment of the chamber, .whenoef'it issues to thc furnace with which it is connected. 1l

I prefer` toA use ,heated cir for the lowe';` row of tuyeres, as it'tends to keep the bed orfliuth of molten rnntter duid, which renders c'ombnston'complete. f l f' l "t When coke in lumps ,'or anthracite conl,`peat, wood; fo r charcoal is'used as fuel, the'hopper andxnchanism 'i for feeding may be dispensedwithand the furnace may be fed hand, through `n. small door 'in the ffeerding, i l,

compartment.l Y l t t l t 4As the ash or refuse of the fuel fuses into a sing, after thefurnace has-heensworkingsome timel A the level 0f the molten matter'is raised. "i u i 1 l I therefore provide a tapping-hole, at a proper level,fso that I can draw oli" a. little of the `slag from-time; i totime. l

` The construction of furnace and method'cflhurning fuel whichI have described are applicable to-those opergj ,ations in the arts und manufncturesjwherehigh temperatures arerequired, such `ns for melting metals, smelting" ,l ores, generating steam, evaporatin'g liquids, or for the manufacture of glass, porcelain, andenrthenwarel I Figur-e 1, sheet 1, isla side elevation ofa. furnace constructed according to -my intention.

t t Figure 2 is a sectional plan ofthe seme. l f l Y Figures, `sliee it,2, is a'frc'nt elevation.

Figure 4 isa' longitudinal vertical section.

Figure 5 is part ofa ltransverse section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A A is a chamber lined with fire-brick or other refractory-material.

B'isa slit or-aperturethrow f which fuel isu'fed into thechamber A.

C is the aperture for-the exi". of the'ilames which may lead to the bed of apuddlingr, reheating,`cr melting# furnace, orto the Working-chamber ofl"any reverberatory furnace, cupola, or blast-furnace, or'around 'the sides,

or through the tubes,-or lines of aboiler, -where the heat'iis-utilined.

D is a partition, or diaphragm, or hanging bridge, dividing the chamber into two compartments, A and A.

E is a b ed of molten matter, which vmaybe metal, slag, or glass, or metal-covered b'y 'molten slag, or'molten.

2glass, or a solid metalbed so covered.

-F F are tuyeres passing through' the sides ofthe chamber A, und supplied withair'fron a fan or other blowing-apparatus.' L f I prefer that the airadmitted to thesech'amber's should be heated, audthis may be done bypassingit through pipes in the chimney, andcondueting it bythe pipeG to the tuyeres F F,i ts'aduiission"to which is regulated by valves .H H.

J isaI fuel-hopper,- covered by `a lid, which hasn. rim resting-in a sand bed, rcund the up'per, edges of the l hopper, s o that, when closed, it is 'air-tight, or nearly so, andiwhichcanbe raised by the-handle i K is a'fhollow cylinder, having ailuted surface, the flutes running in a slightly helical direction from-endv to end.'

ing represented on thedrawing or other lsuitable mechanism.

' 'L is a round-bar'or bolt,' on which a series of pawls, L', isstrung, -side b'y s'ide,`frc eto vibrate thereon.v

These pawls are heavy, and are s o hungV upon the bar In' that their surfaces-can lean against the cylinder y The cylinder is madelto revolve-slowly by hand or by engine-power, communicated to it through the gearx, andjthus .prevent the fuel-.dust contained in the hopperJfrom passing down into the feedingcompartment i A, except the quantity which fills the flutes of thefrevolving cylinder K.

' M isla tapping-hole, through which the fused ash or earthy impurities of the fuel can be drawn oil',- from time to time, when its level rises above that of the tap-hole. I'

N is an inclined plate, on which the fuel falls from thev cylinder K.

O is a-pipe, fitted with a regulating-valve, by which a current ofcold air enters the chamber Q', escaping" from itfover the upper edge of the plate N,blowing 'thro'gh a narrow slit over-'the upper surface of 'the same, and finally passing, with thefuel, through the apertureI B. .l A-

This blast'keepsl the. plate Ncool, and assistsjthe fuel in its .descent into the vf eeding'compartment A.y P is u door, faced with refractory materiahby which access can be obtained,-when necessary, to the bedof thechamber A, for cleaning for repairs.

Q is an air-easingsurrounding the cylinder, supplied with cold air from the air-chamber Oiby the pipes Q Q.

1` prefer to make the trunnions of the cylinder K hbllow, and to convey the cold blast, also, through it, so.

-that the various parts of the feeding-apparatus can bekept cool, and thereby the generati'onof gusand the ,caking or cok'ing of fuel in the hopper prevented.

i' G G are plugs 'for clearing the tuyeres.

`The aetionof the appara-tusis as follows :v f y The hoppersl bei-ng supplied vwith fuel, and the lid-or cover shut close, the' chamber A is supplicd'with a` quantity of burning" fuel, (preferably in a state of in'eandescence,) through a small door, R, :1t-the side thereof. The blast isthen gently turned on through the tuyeres F F, so that the fuel burns f1eely, and heats the lining prise @hasta A. i f v l Fuelis also admitted through another side-door, R,"nntil the chamber A is lled to that level, and the gluhole of the fuel is brought to a high state of ignition.

A charge of'cast iron, broken small, is then introducedt'lirough the door R', along with a sinnll quantity of chalk or lime, orother iuxing'matter, to assist in forming slag.

' The blast is then increased, so that the iron and slag are fused, and this is continued till lheslag begins to' flow-:through the tap-hole M.

Or, instead of using iron' or running a slag'n the furnace, slag 'nlaygbesnppliediusmall pieces through the dofor'R, or a conposi-ticn of sandl li me, and such like matter, well mixed with a little moisture, and 'made in to balls or lumps,. can be introduced, after beingthb'roughly dried, or broken glass` may be added, orv common red ore.' '5

-v When Vthe'mcta'l or slag is fused, und the fuel originally intrlhd'ucedis nearly consumed, the feeding-apparatuul l is put-intoaction, and the fuel, passing down between .thecylinder pawlsL L', fallson the inclined plate N, and is injected into the cham-ber A,' little, however, passingl into thecoinpartment AQf The fuel, in descending through the chamber-A, is-inixed with the ai'rienteringfthrough tlie tuyeres F F,

and a continuous sheet of flame is'thus made to pass ev'erfjthe surface ofthe molten matter into 'the compartment A', whence'it issues to the furnace, with which 'it maybe connected.

After the furnace is put into operation, .Iiutroduce fromitime to time a ilux'fto assist in fusing the ash and other earthy'impurities in the fuel. v

Lime, limestone, chalk, or oyster-shells answer this purpose.' After thefurnace has been Working'for some tim e,should the slag become tough and-itenaciousmr inclined would have it -uuderstood .that I d o-Jot liuiit myself to the'details represeuted'n the drawings; but t t t to he hard, or chill, a little alkali. may be added, or other matters suitable-l for inakng it u-iorejlluid, orlalittle a fresh slag.

The material to iux the ash and earthy impurities of v the fuel may` he. introduced through the-door orjnto t the hopper with the fel, in proportionate quantity,- and mixed throughout it. a

The actionof the furnace is controlled by means of the valves whichadmit the airand-by changAe'f-pulles;

or other mechanism foradjus'ting thespeed of the feeding-apparatus.-

In order that no carbonio oxide or other inflammable gas, orpartcles of' fiiel', xuay'escape ivithut'rec'eivf l ing their fnll supply of oxygen or air, a pipe or air-box, S1itted with@ valve, S?, .admits airfrom the hot'fair z piping through several tuyeres, S? S1, at the top of the comparlggent A', so as to meet the gasesfor other Milamv t mable matters as they rise in the A11p-take. t

Having thus described the nature of my invention, aud in .what manner thesame is to be performed, I

I claim the combination of fuel in abed of molten matter, and theconstructio and worlringof `furnaces i adaptedto this purpose, as herein described. y,

` The above specication of my invention signed by me, this fourth day of February; 1868. n l l I I l THOMAS .T QSEPH4 LEGH,

Witnesses:

ALnxn P, Waren, Ro.; Gnocxmz. 

